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When Phillip Adams was entering university as an undergraduate student, he was undecided about his major and the direction of his life. But after one glimpse at his sketchbook, friends encouraged him to register for an art class. He took their advice and explored a skill and passion that deserved to be challenged and fostered.

“I had no idea that art would even be an option,” says Adams of his career path. “I took one class and I felt like I could actually make sense of a lot of things around me.” Approaching his craft as a way of grasping the world, Adam now holds a bachelor of fine arts and a masters in painting.

A recent series called Solipsists is based around a theory that “one can only know one’s own mind,” explains Adams. He explores this philosophical position, called solipsism, and stresses that we are always somewhat unfamiliar with the unedited versions of the people around us. With a curious eye, Adams has created a project that consists of charcoal drawings of various people wearing sunglasses. “It’s a lot about person, but also about place.” Each pair of sunglasses reveals an image in the reflection, giving the viewer the opportunity to decode the subject, as well as his/her environment.

Adams expresses that one thing he enjoys about art is that he doesn’t always have to control its meaning. “I think the beautiful thing about it is that people can kind of interpret it in their own way.” Bringing a different voice to his work, Adams also produces wall drawings and murals. He is a risk-taking artist who isn’t afraid of hard work and the pressure that comes with his craft. “There’s a kind of tension,” he says, of working as an artist. “It draws me in.”

www.phillipadams.com